The San Diego State men’s basketball team now officially has a number attached to it: 20.

That’s where the Aztecs opened in the Associated Press preseason Top 25 that was released Friday morning. It the highest preseason ranking in school history, which, of course, includes only one other appearance in the preseason poll: No. 25 two years ago.

Two years, five spots, and a world of difference.

“Two years ago, when these polls came out and we were rated 25th, it was a celebration in the city,” said SDSU coach Steve Fisher, who held an impromptu news conference after practice that day with a crush of local media. “It was the first time we’d been ranked. Today, some people outside of this locker room are probably saying, ‘We should be rated higher.’”

Fisher made copies of the Top 25 that has Indiana at No. 1 and told his players to put it in their lockers. Told them to look at it again on Dec. 2, after games against No. 9 Syracuse and No. 13 UCLA.

“I challenged them: Where will be on Dec. 2?” Fisher said. “Will we be ranked? If so, will we be ranked higher? Because we’ll have ample opportunity. We’re going to have lots of tough games (early).”

SDSU also was No. 20 in the USA Today coaches poll released last week. Athlon Sports and Lindy’s Sports both put them No. 15, and several polls from individual journalists have them as high as No. 8.

ESPN’s Dick Vitale and Sports Illustrated’s Seth Davis both put the Aztecs at No. 16 on their AP ballots. NPR Radio’s John Feinstein did not rank them.

Scrimmage, take two

The Aztecs held their second intrasquad scrimmage Friday afternoon, and it was defined by how it started and how it ended.

Jamaal Franklin drew a charging foul in the 40-minute game’s opening seconds, which was one more than by the entire team in the entire first scrimmage a week earlier and set the tone for a sharper defensive effort.

The teams were shuffled after each 10-minute periods, and Xavier Thames made a contested three-pointer with eight seconds left to tie the final quarter at 25-25 with eight seconds left – only for senior guard Chase Tapley to hit a buzzer-beater in traffic for the winner. It served as an exclamation point for Tapley after a lackluster effort last week.

“Last scrimmage I couldn’t buy a basket,” said Tapley, who made one shot last week and already matched that after two minutes Friday. “It just wasn’t my day. This scrimmage my shot was falling and my teammates got me the ball and got me good shots.”

The day’s only downer was a heel injury to senior forward DeShawn Stephens in the first quarter, when he found himself on the bottom of a three-man pileup. Jamaal Franklin attempted to tip dunk a missed shot and jumped over James Rahon, and both landed on Stephens. He played a few more possessions before subbing out and spending the rest of the scrimmage on the trainer’s table.

“We didn’t want to do anything to take a chance,” Fisher said. “We’ll look at him tomorrow and see how he is, and hopefully it will be nothing of any substance.”

Midway ticket update

The Nov. 9 opener against Syracuse on the flight deck of the Midway Museum is nearing a sellout. The $150 baseline seats are gone, and only a limited number of $500 sideline seats remain. They are available at GoAztecs.com, the Aztec Ticket Office at Window E of Qualcomm Stadium, or by calling (619) 283-7378.

Tip times

SDSU still has not announced game times for four home games: San Diego Christian (Nov. 11), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (Nov. 21), USD (Dec. 15) and Point Loma Nazarene (Dec. 18). Time Warner Cable SportsNet has yet to set the USD tipoff. School officials said they are in negotiations to have the other three televised, although they are likely to tip off at 7 or 7:30 p.m.

That would leave the Nov. 17 date at Missouri State as the lone Aztecs game in the regular season not on some form of TV.